Stranger Tides
by N'yrthghar
Summary: Judy is a captain of the royal navy, tasked with tracking down an elusive pirate called The Fox. But when she realizes she may need the priate's help to stop a rogue captain, she'll have to risk watching her dreams sink beneath the waves to save everything.
1. Pirates, Liars, and Brigs - Oh My!

Judy sat back in her chair, resting her head against its wooden frame as she tried to clear her thoughts. The gentle rocking of her ship and crashing of waves upon its sides called for her to sleep, but she knew she couldn't. She had to get this written down, even if her memories of the past few weeks' events were hazy to her. She knew the fox was going to hang, and her only chance to save him was to get this done in time for his trial.

With a soft sigh, she sat forward in her chair again, taking up the quill from its place in the ink bottle, and setting it to the paper before her. She hoped the light from her lantern would last long enough, hoped even more that she would be fast enough.

~ óÓÒò ~

The sea spray against her face, wind brushing past her ears, and the sounds of waves all around.

It was far from perfect, but she loved being a captain. She had worked hard to get here, too – years of hard work to be accepted by the royal navy, and she had to work even harder to be promoted to captain. But when she was, she was so proud.

Until she was told the conditions of her promotion: Capture the notorious pirate known simply as The Fox, within a month, or be removed from her service. And that deal was made half a month ago – time was running out.

But it seemed to her that luck was on her side this day – an officer had caught sight of a ship that matched The Fox's, and with the wind at their backs, they were gaining on the ship. Judy couldn't help but grin as the distance between them closed; she had a feeling within her that this was, indeed, the ship she looked for.

~ óÓÒò ~

The battle was raging all around, and it was, to be blunt, total chaos. They had indeed found The Fox's ship, but they lacked the element of surprise she had hoped for. While her mammals were good and hardened from years on the seas, so were her foe's. They exchanged cannon fire for a brief time before The Fox's ship seemed to come to a halt, and she had her crew prepare to board.

This was a mistake, as _her_ ship was boarded once it drew near enough. The pirates swung across on ropes and landed with swords drawn as more of the pirate's crew leaped over to her ship, climbing up the railings until they too were on the deck.

She was an able enough fighter, though, managing to force her way through all manner of criminals that stood before her. Her first priorty was, of course, to clear her ship of these ne'er-do-wells, then to board the other ship and take their captain. But, much to her surprise, The Fox came out to meet her.

Just after she managed to send a wounded panther over the railing with a fierce kick, she found herself nose-to-tip with a cutlass, leveled to her by a rather smug-looking fox. She took a moment to take in his appearance: tan trousers and a stained white tunic under a knee-length brown coat, several belts and sashes wrapped around him, each adorned with one of four flintlock pistols – two across his chest, and two at the back of his waist – and a second cutlass in a loose sheathe on his right hip. A red bandana was wrapped around his head, almost entirely covered by a tricorne hat.

Swiftly, she swung her rapier and bat away his blade, to which The Fox merely grinned and spun, coming to a stop several paces away. "Well, if I had known that they would send such a cute bunny after me, I would've taken more pride in my appearance," he joked.

"Do _not_ call me cute," Judy hissed, darting forward and thrusting her rapier at him. The Fox deftly swung his cutlass just enough to drive the tip of her blade into the wood beside him.

"Ooh, and a fiery lass she is," he chuckled, stepping away and out of arm's reach. Judy swiftly withdrew her blade from the wood and swung it towards the fox, aiming for his midsection before shifting her direction for his leg, managing a small cut along the baggy trousers as he stepped away. But, rather than looking pained, The Fox looked amused. "Ah, but alas, she's a bit slow."

Judy stepped forward, driving her sword towards the fox again, feeling a twinge of frustration as he swat it away with ease using the side of his cutlass. This time, he swung back, nearly giving Judy a new scar on her cheek. She responded by swinging at him again, lower this time, and again he parried. This continued for some time, the two engaging in a lethal dance of blades, until a sudden whistle similar to a bird's call drew the Fox's attention. He gave a slight glance away from Judy and, before she could take advantage of the distraction, he leaped backwards and gave her a mock bow.

"Well done, miss. You actually managed to keep me from my rum until it was time to go," he chuckled, slowly beginnign to rise up above her. It wasn't until the fox was well in the air that she realized he was stood on a plank of wood that was being lifted and drawn back to his ship, where he gave her a distinctly vulpine smirk before dropping down to his deck and slowly gathering his crew and raising anchor, his ship slowly turning away from hers.

Judy immediately leaped into action, calling to her crew to pursue them and ready their cannons, but was dismayed to hear that their cannonballs had all been tossed overboard or were otherwise missing – adding to that, there was a leak in the lower portion of the ship, and it desperately needed to be brought to port for repairs. Ears falling to her back, Judy watched as the pirate ship continued off into the distance, cheers from it echoing across the open ocean to her ears. With a sigh and admittence of defeat, the rabbit began turning their ship to the nearest port.

~ óÓÒò ~

Night was always dangerous on the open waters. Especially when it grew foggy, as it was now, several days after she had encoutnered The Fox. Her ship had been repaired, at her own expense, but they were again sailing the seas and watching for the pirate ship they so sought. Her crew had been less motivated than before, their morale having taken quite a blow after their initial encounter with The Fox and his crew. But spirits were rising yet again, as they had picked up rumors of the ship they were after having traveled in the area. Supposedly they were going north, and so that is where Judy set course.

Unfortunately, the fog hid things much better than Judy expected. So when the sound of cannonfire woke her from her sleep, she was understandably caught off-guard. And, when the majority of her crew was caught in the same state, it was dually understood how they had no time to man their own cannons before they were blown to splinters and rubble. Judy hardly had time to grab a satchel and fill it with some of her own belongings before she felt her ship sinking – almost as fast as her own spirits.

Not ten minutes later, after unrelenting cannonfire from their unseen assailant, Judy found herself sat on a chunk of wood hardly large enough for her, adrift at sea. She and, surprisingly, all of her crew were unharmed, but her ship was now all but nonexistent, reduced to little more than pieces of wood and debris floating aimlessly in the sea.

For a half an hour, they were adrift like that, and Judy was thankful for the calm waters. She was equally grateful when she saw a ship in the distance, and coming closer to them. She hailed them for help, but her smile at the propsect of rescue fell when she realized who it was that had come to their aid.

The Fox. Of course.

And, with a smug grin to match his departure last time, he sat at the edge of his railing and discussed the terms of his assistance. At first, Judy adamantly denied needing it, but when he pointed out the time and their distance from shore, she knew she had to put pride aside for the well being of her crew. And so it was that she and her crew found themselves in the brig of the pirate's ship – a surprising discovery, until she realized that they were aboard a ship of the royal navy that had gone missing some months ago.

Sighing, the bunny cursed at her rotten luck, while trying to block out the crude remarks being sent her way from The Fox's crew.

~ óÓÒò ~

Come morning, Judy and her crew were free, although singificantly lighter in terms of money. Though she knew they were in a port, it wasn't until that evening that she was able to find out where exactly – a port on the easternmost cape of Zootopia, well away from where she needed to be. But luck was on her side, as another naval officer was there, and willing to help her make her way home to report back on her... Findings.

She sat in a pub, waiting in anticipation for the captain in question, and was quite surprised to have a hare sit across from her. Judging from the way he was dressed, as well as the golden bars on his shoulders, she could tell he was a captain with a higher ranking than her. And, with the distinct zebra-like markings on his cheeks and ears, she knew exactly who it was.

"Commodore Savage," she gasped, immediately snapping to a salute.

With a subtle chuckle, he sat in front of her. "Relax, captain. I'm told you need a ride home?"

Judy sighed and nodded, reluctantly explaining to the hare what had happened and how she had lost her ship. He just listened quietly and nodded at the appropriate time. With a sigh, he leaned back in his seat. "So you've met the same fate as my first ship," he laughed.

Judy, curious, asked for details. Savage, with clear amusement, told Judy the story of how a great pirate, years upon years ago, had taken to a sea goddess. She had entrusted him with immortality and the task of ferrying lost souls to the afterlife, and promised to meet him once every ten years at shore, but when she failed to appear he cursed her name tried to remove his own heart; the sea goddess took it from him, and she cursed him to roam the seas for all time, searching for his heart. He sought vengeance by opening fire on any ship unfortunate enough to be caught in open waters during a heavy fog at night. The commodore admitted to not having believed the story at first, but when his first ship was destroyed and he managed to see a ship that vanished beneath the waves, he believed it.

After his tale, Jack shook his head and began to barter with Judy a price for his aid. They haggled for nearly an hour before they reached an agreement: she would help him catch The Fox, and he would let her take credit for his capture when they returned to the fleet's main port.

They would leave come morning.

~ óÓÒò ~

It had been three days of open water on Jack's ship, and so far, it was much better than she was expecting. The crew was nice, the food warm, and the beds comfortable.

Which is why she wondered what had woken her up. After what felt like ages of tossing and turning in her cot, Judy finally got out of her bed and dressed. She at first began to walk to the steps leading to the deck, but when she saw the light in Commodore Savage's room, she grew curious. Surely the captain would be asleep at this hour?

When she could hear voices beyond the door, she paused to listen. She could pick up two voices, both of which she knew – one was that of Jack, and the other, to her surprise and distaste, was of The Fox.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just have you thrown into the brig here and now, Wilde."

"Because, as we both know, then you'd have no one to chase after all these years."

"Nick, I swear that if I didn't know any better-"

" _Captain_ Nick, if you would," The Fox interrupted.

"You haven't been a captain since you turned pirate," Jack spat. "Besides, you're the worst pirate I've ever heard of. You've lost half a dozen ships in a year."

"But you've all heard of me, and that's enough," Nick said smugly. "You were saying?"

"Right... _Captain_ Nick, give me one good reason I shouldn't throw you into the brig and have you hung as I would with any other pirate?"

"Because the reason for my piracy is ridiculous?" Nick asked. "Mammals aren't cargo, mate. We're all free souls, slave only to the world we live in."

"And yet here you are flying the black flag and pillaging ships. Give me a better reason before I give in to better judgement."

"Then what if I told you that there'd be no one to lead you to the treasure, then?" Nick asked. There was a creaking on the other side of the door, followed by a door's slam and the clinking of glasses. "Ah, glad you still have rum."

"This isn't for you," Jack snapped, before sighing heavily. There was the clinking of glasses yet again, and Nick let out a satisfied sound, followed by a slurping noise.

"You always did have access to the best," Nick commented.

"What do you want?" Jack asked.

"Well, someone's feeling impatient tonight."

"What. Do. You. Want?" Jack repeated.

"You know exactly what I want," Nick stated.

There was silence, followed a minute later by the sound of a glass hitting the floor. "I can't give you that."

"Yes, you can, and we both know it."

"No, I can't. That's _not_ _possible_ for me to do!"

"Then I suppose I'll just sail into the sunset and you'll have missed your chance," Nick replied calmly.

There was another minute of silence, before Jack sighed in resignation. "Fine. Come back in a few days. You know which port. And steer clear of me for the time being – that rabbit that's been after you is on board."

"Oh I do enjoy the bunny's company," Nick chuckled. "She can distract me with a sword about as well as Anna Marie could with her-"

" _Not_ again," Jack interrupted. "Just... Go. Get back on your ship, set sail, and meet me in a few days."

Nick let out a satisfied sound, followed by what sounded like a glass being set onto a desk. "Now was that so hard? I'll see you in a few days, Jackie boy."

There was the sound of a few thuds, then silence, only broken by Commodore Jack sighing in clear frustration. "I hate that fox..."

~ óÓÒò ~

Her window was closing, and Judy knew it. If she was going to catch this fox, Nick, she needed to act fast. She had been tailing after Jack when they made for port, following him until he went into a tavern. He was dressed very differently from his usual self, now wearing stained trousers and a tan tunic covered in a cloak. From there she slipped in after him and took up a seat near enough to watch and hear him over the loud racket caused by the other patrons, but not close enough to be noticeable. Jack sat alone at his table for a long time, looking more and more frustrated as the night wore on, until finally, The Fox walked into the tavern and sat at his table. Judy swiveled her ears around to hear them, hoping she would remain unnoticed.

"You sure took your sweet time," Jack sighed.

"Oh, you know me. Perfectly punctual for my tastes." Nick chuckled back.

"I've been sitting here for sodding _hours_ ," Jack groaned. "I've already had more to drink than I wanted."

"Well now who's fault is that?" Nick asked with a grin. Jack just let out the closest thing the hare could to a growl, before shaking his head and taking a long drink.

"Yours," he finally stated. "Now tell me what I'm here for. And remember – if you've wasted my time, I _will_ have you hang, like I should."

"Relax, Jackie. I'm a fox o' me word." Nick sat back in his chair and swiped a drink off the tray of a passing puma waitress. "Right, so I know that you know the old legend of our good friend Jones and his little love with the sea. It's ancient. Well, as it turns out in all the time he sailed the seas, he amassed quite a large heaping of treasures – gold, silver, and the like."

"Yes, I know," Jack replied, sounding impatient. "But we've both scoured the seas for any sign of the treasure and have seen neither hide nor tail of it. So what's your point?"

"My point," Nick said, leaning forward with a seemingly excited grin. "Is that I know where it is, thanks to some books I've... Acquired. And if what I've found is true, then it's quite a bit more than just riches he's hidden away."

"Well what else is there besides riches?"

"His heart. And, if I've managed to read these right, the one who holds his heart can command him and his ship – imagine, a ghostly ship you could have rise at your beck and call!"

"That would be quite something," Jack muttered, taking a long drink from his cup. "You could be an unstoppable force on the waters..."

"Aye," Nick replied, grinning more. "But more than that. He who holds the cap'n's heart could find his old love, and if he can capture her, he commands the seas as well."

Jack scoffed at this. "I could barely believe in the idea of finding Davy's heart, but capturing a _goddess_? Now you've pushed your luck too far. You ain't tricking me again."

"Well if you don't believe me," Nick said, standing up from his seat. "Then I've no reason to show you where it is. And when you find the entirety of the seas at my command, you'll be wishing you had listened."

The fox turned to start walking away, before a call from Jack stopped him. He turned back to face the hare, his eyes briefly passing over Judy on the way. This led her to panic and duck her head, pretending to be fast asleep. She couldn't tell if the fox had recognized her or not, but she did her best to listen to the fox and hare without giving herself away.

"Just a moment, Nick," Jack said. "This may be the liquor talkin', but I'm willing to at least look at what you found."

"Aaah, see, there's the curious little Jackie I remembered." Nick laughed softly. "If you're so willing, then you wouldn't mind a brief walk to them?"

"You didn't bring them with you?" Jack asked.

"Oh, Jack, you insult me by thinking I'd be so foolish!"

"So you'd be insulted by the truth?" The hare replied with a single short laugh.

"And again, I'm wounded!"

~ óÓÒò ~

Judy tailed the two until they reached the docks, where she realized that they were going to board Nick's ship. Not willing to risk boarding behind them and being caught by one of the pirate's crew, Judy carefully climbed around the exterior of the ship until she found what she was looking for – the windows leading into the captain's cabin. Inside, she could see Nick and Jack poring over a series of books, but she was unable to make out what the two were saying.

She sat there, clinging to the edge of the window while trying to spy on the two, before Nick began leading Jack to the exit. She leaped back and off the side of the ship, landing on the docks and ducking behind a convenient set of boxes as the two came to a stop on the platform outside of Nick's ship. There was more quiet talking, before someone let out a sharp gasp, and she heard metal and mammal collapse to the ground. Peeking out from her hiding place, she saw Jack poised over the prone form of Nick. In his paw was a dart, which he quickly discarded into the sea, before slowly lifting the fox up and beginning to drag his limp form towards his own ship.

Judy, looking around in hopes of finding a way to beat him there, and spotted a series of wooden pillars jutting out of the water. She did a quick bit of guessing and, when she found that they led to the same pier as where Commodore Jack's ship rested, she began to leap across them, forming a plan in her mind as she went. Several times she almost lost her balance, but managed to keep herself from taking an unexpected swim, reaching the far side as dry as when she began, and she quickly sprinted down the docks towards Jack at the start of the pier, where he was still trying to drag Nick along.

"Ah, Captain Hopps," Jack grunted when she drew close enough. "Give me a hand, will you?"

"Of course, Commodore," She said, moving to Nick's other side. She lifted the fox's arm over her shoulder and, together, she and the Commodore began to move him to Jack's ship. At first, she worked in silence, before glancing at the hare. He wore an expression of deep thought, brow furrowed and face set in a frown. "This is The Fox," she commented, making the hare jump slightly.

"Ah, yes. You wouldn't believe it, but I found him at a tavern in town. Drunk as could be and sleeping like a kit." Jack replied, giving a soft chuckle.

Judy narrowed her eyes slightly, but played along. "A tavern? What brought you there in such dress?"

"Pardon?" Jack asked. He brielfy looked himself over before giving a surprised expression. "Ah, good eye. A Commodore isn't meant to be seen in taverns, but I desperately needed a change of scenery. You understand, right?"

"Everyone needs a change of scenery from time to time," Judy replied. Jack grunted something of thanks, before going quiet again. In silence, save the faint snores of the fox between them, they continued on. They dragged Nick onto Jack's ship, down below the deck, and into one of the many unoccupied cells.

They stripped Nick of his coat, hat, weapons, and sashes, leaving him in just a tunic and trousers. Jack offered Judy a nod of thanks before dismissing himself, returning to the top of the deck. Judy watched him go, before taking Nick's belongings and storing them on the far end of the ship, where she neatly set them together.

She didn't see Jack again that night, save one brief moment when he was closing the door to his cabin. He had clearly not noticed her, but she could see that he had several books with him as he shut his door.

Something was going on, and Judy knew it.

~ óÓÒò ~

On the last day of her month-long limit, they arrived at their destination – a port entirely controlled by the Royal Navy of Zootopia. Things were surprisingly swift; Jack kept his word, giving Judy all the credit for Nick's capture and explaining away the loss of her ship as an ambush by the pirate. The fox was taken away for a brief trial and, as she expected, was sentenced to death by hanging. Judy was quickly given a new ship due to her apprehension of the fox, and she wasted little time in taking up her position in the new captain's quarters before visiting Jack one more time. The hare had claimed that he needed to leave port again that day, but had invited her into his cabin for a glass of strong wine.

After the brief celebration, Jack excused himself and went to a makeshift study, but not before wishing Judy luck with whatever travels she had next. Judy smiled politely and left the cabin, glancing behind her before she made her way to the far end of the ship. She had a nagging feeling that told her – no, demanded that she take Nick's items with her. And, had she not had this feeling before, and had it not led her to a swift rise in the ranks, she would've ignored it. So, giving in to this feeling, she wrapped the fox's clothes and weapons in a flag she had brought with her, before tucking it under her arm and swiftly returning to her ship.

Just after, Judy had set to writing down the events she could best remember, as the wine was far stronger than any drink she'd had before, and was making her mind somewhat fuzzy.

She sat back in her seat now, looking over from her seat at the fox's belongings. She had taken care to set them up, the swords resting against the wall and the hat resting atop them, with the bundle that hid his clothes resting behind that, pressed against the wall.

Something about them was nagging at her. Something she couldn't quite figure out, until she heard the tolling of bells – a distinct sound, signalling the start of executions. The bunny's heart leaped in her chest, and the nagging in her mind gave way to yet another demand: Save the fox, stop Jack. And while she didn't entirely understand why, she again listened to the demand, and rushed out of her cabin and down the docks.

She hoped she could reach the fox before it was too late.

~ óÓÒò ~

 **So this is something that was stuck in my head for some time. I'm tempted to leave it as a one-shot, as an experiment to leave the remainder of the story to your imaginations, but if you'd all prefer I finish this up as a story, please let me know. The one-shot experiment idea is also why this seems to jump around, so if you all _do_ want this to be a full story, be sure to also let me know if I should start at the beginning and properly write it, or continue from here.**

 **Until next time,**  
 **Drink up, me hearties!**


	2. Do we have an accord?

Judy's heart raced as she sprinted through the streets of Zootopia, brushing past everyone in her rush to get to the gallows. She didn't have a plan for how she would save the fox once she got there, but she knew that time was running out. Someone let out a surprised yell at her when she tore past, the sound of a crate smashing on the ground sounding behind her. Normally she'd stop to help pick it up, but with the bells tolling a second time, she didn't even give it a second thought as she ran on.

By the time she reached the base of the hill that the gallows were on, the bells began to toll for a third time, followed by a pattering of a snare drum and a voice calling out above the growing crowd.

"Nicholas Wilde, it has been found that you have been tried and convicted for you willfull commission of crime against the crown, said crimes being humorous in quantity and sinister in nature."

"Oh, no," Judy muttered, pausing to try and see if she could spot where the Fox was at the gallows. Her view was blocked, though, by the large congregation of mammals in her path – none of whom looked to be safe to climb atop of for a better view. And so, she began sprinting ahead again, as fast as she was able, as the charges against Nick were continued.

"The most egregious of these to be sighted herewith: piracy, smuggling, multiple accounts of impersonating an Officer of the Zootopia Royal Navy, impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, impersonating a cleric of the Church, sailing under false colors..."

Judy let out a relived sigh as she saw the top posts of the gallows come into view over the mammals around her. The Fox was wanted for good reason, and she was (ironically) thankful his charges were so many that it bought her time. Or rather, it would've until she heard the commanding voice of Admiral Bogo rang out "Get on with it! We haven't got all day."

That alone made Judy's stomach sink once again, the voice listing Nick's offenses going quiet as the crowd murmured an agreement with the cape buffalo. With as much haste as she could muster, the rabbit forced her way through the group surrounding her. When she finally had a clear enough line of sight to the gallows, she saw the large masked bear stepping up to the lever that would remove the platform under the fox. Her breath caught as she saw the bear grab hold of the lever, and pull.

Without thinking, and as soon as she identified the fox she needed, Judy quickly drew her pistol and fired the single shot at the rope above the pirate's neck.

The result was instant chaos – mammals shrieked and cried out in surprise, the executioner stumbled back from the lever unexpectedly, the fox fell from the top of the platform, and soldiers (after a brief bit of yelling from Admiral Bogo) began to immediately search the area for the shooter and pirate. Judy dipped and weaved her way through the crowd as it dispersed and moved down the hill, noticing a lack of fox under the gallows.

In slight panic, she looked around, jumping back and forth as best she could to avoid being crushed by one of the larger mammals present. A flash of red caught her eye, and she managed to make out the sight of a black tailtip disappearing into a set of bushes on the far side of the clearing. After a brief check of her surroundings to ensure she wasn't being followed, Judy made her way over to the bushes and pushed her way into them, almost coming nose-to-nose with the Fox.

As she opened her mouth to speak, he reached up a paw and cupped it around her mouth, holding up a finger. Judy shot daggers at him as he whispered "I saw that. Let the guards pass."

Still, not wanting to get the fox caught, Judy held her tongue and simply stared at the fox as he looked past her, ears tilting similarly to hers as he listened for any approaching footsteps. A moment later, he chuckled out "You can quit staring any time, Fluff. But I know, I'm one handsome fox."

If Judy didn't have such self-control, she would've kicked the fox then and there, but she also knew that she needed him to find Jack, and that doing so would reveal their position. She was thankful enough as it was that the guards had lost their scent from the crowd and plants around the gallows. She didn't know how long they were sat there, but the sun was noticeably lower in the sky when Nick finally drew his paw away. "Look, rabbit, I don't know what you want or why you did what you did, but it's clear you want something from me. Now as curious as I am, this bush hardly makes for a good place to talk, so what say ye we head to a more secluded area away from the eyes of the guard so's I can find out what the bun-bun wants. Savvy?"

Judy grabbed the Fox's wrist and tugged it away, hissing out: "Fine. But if you so much as try to escape and I'll either have your tail, or the guard will. Either way, you will not escape a second time."

The fox just grinned at her, replying "Well if the bunny wanted some tail, all she had to do was ask."

Judy's glare worsened, though the insides of her ears turned a bit pinker at the idea. "If I didn't need your help..." She trailed off, sighing. "We'll go to my ship. It isn't far, and you could easily come aboard without being noticed – most of my crew is celebrating before we set sail again."

"Then lead the way, capitan," Nick replied smoothly. Judy rolled her eyes and stuck her head out of the bush, looking both ways before hastily moving towards more cover not far down the hill, Nick right behind her. The two managed to keep up this slow progress away from the gallows and towards Judy's ship for the better part of an hour, where most of her crew was still absent. At the moment, the only visible member was a large tiger, currently passed out on a box with a bottle of liqour in his paw. It was easy enough to slip Nick past him and under the deck, where she led him to her quarters and ushered him inside. She took the time to shut the door before turning to make sure they had successfully boarded unnoticed, when she froze in place.

Private Benjamin Clawhauser, a rather fat cheetah normally brimming with happiness and one of Judy's few actual friends on the ship, was giving Judy a very curious look. "Captain Hopps, was that-"

"Was that what, private?" she asked sharply. Clawhauser frowned a bit at her tone, and Judy admittedly felt a bit guilty, but buried it with the desire to keep their new passenger hidden.

"Was that... The fox pirate?" Clawhauser continued.

"Not likely," Judy replied cautiously. "He was supposed to be hung at the gallows hours ago."

"But that looked exactly like-"

"Like what?" Judy snapped. Her frustration was clear, and the cheetah leaned back slightly, clearly taken aback.

"I-I'm sorry, captain, I just meant that-" The cheetah started, sadness clear in his voice. That was what got to Judy – Clawhauser never sounded sad when she talked to him, so for him to be so quickly put down was a surprise to her.

"No, Clawhauser, I'm sorry," Judy interrupted. "Just... Where's the rest of the crew?"

"Aside from you and myself, most of the crew took to the taverns to celebrate. Delgato and Fangmeyer stayed here to help watch the ship." Clawhauser sounded hesitant in his response, but at least the sadness was as quick to leave as it was to arrive.

Judy sighed. "Private, can I trust you to keep a secret?"

"Of course, captain! I wouldn't tell a soul!" The cheetah nodded and gave Judy a salute, before crouching down at her beckoning.

When Clawhauser was crouched down enough, she began to whisper an explanation. "Good, because if you do tell a soul I will send you to the depths of the sea myself. To answer your question, yes, that was the Fox we were sent to capture – but I need his aid. Captain Savage was acting mighty suspicious last we talked, and the only mammal who knows of where he is is that fox. So for now, we need him. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand, captain," Clawhauser nodded. "And I'll not tell a soul – I swear it."

"Good," Judy replied, taking a step back. Clawhauser stood up and gave Judy yet another salute, which she returned with a tense smile. She knew she could trust Clawhauser, but she also knew that telling any other mammal about Nick's presence on the ship could have disastrous effects. "Now then, I need to speak with the fox, and you are meant to be at your post."

"Of course, captain!" the cheetah said, quickly turning around and heading to the ladder leading above-deck. With a more relaxed smile, Judy watched him go, before turning and opening the door to her room, shutting it behind her.

Nick was currently staring out of the window that faced away from the port and out into the sea, paws clasped behind his back. One ear flicked as Judy shut the door, and the fox slowly turned to her with an amused smirk on his face. "I was wondering what was taking you so long," he said.

"Trying to make sure you're not found out," Judy replied, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes. "But now that that's been taken care of, we need to talk."

"Ah, right. The bunny needs a favor."

"Wrong," Judy said, feeling her frustration grow as Nick's smirk only grew more smug. " _You_ owe _me_ because I risked my career over you on a hunch and a feeling."

"I'm flattered you'd do that over me," Nick chirped, interrupting Judy. The rabbit just sighed in frustration, shook her head, and continued.

"So either you can help me, or I can simply turn you back over to the Royal Guard – and I can promise, no one will come to your aid this time. It's your choice." Judy stared at the fox with her own smug expression, watching his smirk falter at the prospect of being sent back to the gallows.

"Well it sounds to me like you have your own desires," Nick started after a moment of quiet thought. "But you can't achieve them without me. So turning me over does you no good, aye?"

"It would be no worse than you not cooperating," Judy replied. This time, the fox's smirk fell, and Judy grew one of her own. "So, will you help, or are you so eager to enjoy the Guards' hospitality again?"

Nick carefully studied Judy for a long moment, before crossing his own arms across his chest. "I'll listen to you, and we'll go from there. But, on the condition that I'm given a drink – and no, not water."

Judy sighed once more, nodding and walking to her bed. She reached under and drew out a small wooden box, setting it up on her bed and opening it. She drew out from inside two small glasses and a single unmarked bottle filled with a light brown liqour. She could feel Nick's eyes on her back as she poured some of the substance into the small glasses, closing the bottle and placing it back within the box before turning and handing Nick a drink.

The fox took it gratefully and, after a small sniff, downed the drink in one go. It didn't surprise Judy – her glasses were about the size of a shot glass for the fox. She, however, took several drinks from her glass. The burn was smooth and it tasted faintly of honey, and the whiskey warmed her insides. She was happy to have a few members of her family who knew how to make a good liqour.

Judy took Nick's glass and set them on her desk, turning to face the fox as he licked his lips with a satisfied sound and sat on her bed. "You'll have to tell me where you got that from. I'd quite like to aqcuire some of my own."

"Good luck with that," Judy replied, giving a single small laugh. The makers live over two-hundred miles inland, and that's the only bottle to have seen the sea."

"Then perhaps I'll just have to find a way to convince you to let me have the rest?" Nick said hopefully.

"Not likely," Judy replied, grinning as he looked ever-so-slightly disappointed. "But if you're a good fox and help like you ought to, maybe I'll be willing to share another drink with you."

"I suppose a pirate needs some added incentive," Nick muttered. Then, louder: "Very well. What does the good captain require of me?"

Judy took a deep breath, mentally fortifying herself for the sass that she knew the fox would give her about her request. "I require your aid in tracking down an esteemed colleague whom I believe is sailing for an unknown land to retrieve something for his own nefarious wishes."

Nick tilted his head back, grinning as he spoke. "Them's might big words, cap. I am but a humble pirate, after all."

Rolling her eyes, Judy repeated herself in a more simpler speak: "I believe another respected captain I know is trying to find something to give him power over the crown, and I need your help to find him before he gets there."

Nick lifted his head, making an 'Aah' sound before nodding. Judy watched him carefully as he stood up, his usual smirk landing on his muzzle. "I'm afraid that I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request." He said, leaning down to be slightly more eye level with her. Then, at her slightly dumbfounded expression, he said "Means "No," sweetheart."

The moment the fox uttered the word "No", Judy felt her frustration return. "Then I'll simply send you back to the gallows," she snapped, Nick turning away and chuckling as he stared back out the window. He set his paws on his hips as he listened to Judy. "I will drag you back out there by your tail if I must, but either you'll help me or you'll hang."

"You forgot one of the important parts about a 'deal', lass" Nick interrupted, glancing over his shoulder at Judy. "Both parties must be given something, else it's just free work."

"But I freed you – you would be dead now without me!" Judy replied.

"Correct, but you would be equally lost without me. So you need me to help, but I've no reason to. What do you suppose would amend that? Treasure, perhaps?"

Judy paused and thought for a moment. She hadn't considered the possibility of the fox, a notorious pirate, not seeing his life being saved as some debt to be repayed in this circumstance. "I won't offer you gold," Judy said, carefully choosing her words.

"Ah, but not all treasure is gold," Nick said, turning slowly to face Judy once again. "The ultimate treasure is freedom."

"I can't offer you a pardon," Judy warned.

"And do you think the crown would give me one? Nay, I'm not asking for a pardon," Nick said, this time taking a step closer to Judy and crouching down. "I'm asking for my ship and my crew. They'll be waiting for little more than a week at a place only they and I know for my return. You let me to them, and I'll give ye the aid you want."

Judy stared up at the fox, trying to read him as best she was able. His expression yielded nothing, as it was a smirk that held only confidence, and his eyes had a peculiar gloss to them that prevented her from seeing if he was hiding something. "And how do I know you won't simply sail off without keeping your end of the bargain?" Judy asked.

"Simple. You let me back to my ship, I work my magic and, as I am still captain, I tell them a place for us to meet when we've finished with your little chase. I come back aboard your ship and help you, then you set me loose and neither of us sees one another again. N'how does that sound? Do we have an accord?" Nick stuck out his paw, waiting for Judy's to shake.

The rabbit continued to stare at the fox, judging him to the best of her ability. When she found nothing to tell her he was lying, she gripped his paw, and they shook. "We do."

"Fantastic. Now then, if I am to return to my ship a captain, I need the proper attire. You wouldn't happen to have-" Nick started, cutting himself off as Judy turned and tugged the bundle of cloth free from the corner by her desk. She sat the fox's tricorne hat on top of it, before offering it to him. The fox simply grinned, picked up the hat, and inspected it. A moment later, with a large grin, he sat it atop his head.

"That's more like it," he said.

~ óÓÒò ~

 **Well, due to popular demand, looks like I'll be continuing this little story! And hey, I've finally managed to get something written! Huzzah! I'll be updating this sporadically, as with all my stories, but now that I know where I'm going with this it should be easier.**

 **Until next time - drink up, me hearties!  
**


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